


I Am The Match, I Am The Spark

by ifeelflames



Category: Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins, Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Crossover, M/M, Teen Wolf AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-05
Updated: 2013-03-05
Packaged: 2017-12-04 09:27:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/709193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ifeelflames/pseuds/ifeelflames
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles isn't stupid; he knows in all likelihood he's being sent off to die. From the moment his name is called though; Stiles clamps down on his fear and focuses on the fact that he's going to need a plan if he's going to come back home to his dad.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Am The Match, I Am The Spark

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a quick drabble rushed out to accompany [this](http://ifeelflames.tumblr.com/post/44612791254/for-the-fantasy-tv-meme-02-05-aus-the-hunger) graphic I made for a Teen Wolf Tumblr meme. Any mistakes are mine. The Hunger Games and Teen Wolf are, alas, very much not mine.

_"And now it's time to select District Three's male tribute; who will the lucky young man be?  Stiles Stilinski! Come on up here dear."_

Stiles isn't stupid; he knows in all likelihood he's being sent off to die. From the moment his name is called though; Stiles clamps down on his fear and focuses on the fact that he's going to need a plan if he's going to come back home to his dad.  
   
And he has to come back home to his dad, because he's pretty sure his dad will drink himself into an early grave if he doesn't.  
   
Erica Reyes is stood next to him, her eyes huge and her slender frame wracked with trembles. Stiles knows the odds of him coming home are slim, but Erica's are pretty much non-existent; if someone doesn't put a knife through her, then she'll probably die alone choking on her tongue or her own vomit, because Erica has terrible seizures. Her family can't afford the medication to help them, so she has to be supervised at all times to keep her safe. Stiles really isn't sure which would be the worse way to go; all he knows is he gets why she's gasping like the executioner's noose is already around her neck.  
   
Stiles needs to win, and in that instant he knows he can't team up with her, because that alliance would only make him weaker. Stiles feels cold and calculated to be thinking about this already, but there it is; Stiles wants to live. Stiles  _really_  wants to live and, to do that, he's going to have to be smart.  
   
\-----  
   
As he rides the train he starts to wonder about the other tributes. If he's lucky then a lot of the kids reaped this year will be younger than him; that would at least give him a chance.  _Oh god_ , he actually feels sick to know he just thought that, but Stiles wants to come home, and if that means kids he doesn't know dying then he's OK with it, even if he does have to excuse himself from the dining cart to throw up the garish food he's only just eaten.  
   
\-----  
   
By the time he hits the training center a plan has begun to take root in his mind and grow. Stiles knows he needs an ally, he needs someone who offers what he lacks. Stiles knows he's smart, and that he has some skills to bring to the table, so he starts to watch.  
   
Stiles dismisses any potential partnerships with tributes from districts Six, Seven, Eight and Twelve early in his observations.  The tributes are either too young, too weak or, in the case of that guy from Seven, too freaking creepy. The girl from Five could be a possibility, but she looks like she shares a lot of his skills rather than bringing something new to the table. He makes a note to keep an eye on her though, as he feels she's holding back in training, and could be a dark horse.  
   
Districts One and Two seem to have formed an early alliance, no surprises there then. Everyone knows the Careers stick together most years, to start with. They also seem to be forming ties with the female District Four tribute, so that rules all of those out; Not that Stiles really wants to be part of the Career pack and not that they'd really want him. He's smart enough to know that they pick off the weak first when the odds start to improve, and yeah, he's not down with waiting around for that.  
   
No, there is only one tribute who has his full attention; Mr tall, dark and terrifying from District Four. For some reason Stiles can't fathom, this guy hasn't joined the Career pack, even though they'd welcome him with open arms.  He doesn't talk to anyone, he just makes his way silently around the activity stations, glowering at anyone in his path.  
   
It's on day 3 that Stiles decides that this is the guy for him, now he's just got to prove himself a worthy ally.  
   
\-----  
   
For the rest of the week, wherever Derek (Mr. District Four) is, Stiles isn't far behind. Stiles makes sure to join him at  the activity stations where he knows he excels, in an attempt to show off his prowess. Derek doesn't speak to him, but Stiles persists, becoming his shadow.  
   
It's day eight when Stiles feels a set of eyes on him, while he does his thing at the knife throwing station. Stiles might not have strength, but he knows he has precision, and he keeps his expression nonchalant as the blade slams into the bull's-eye. When he casts a quick glance he catches Derek watching, his face showing something akin to curiosity.  
   
\-----  
   
The plan in Stiles' head is twisting and evolving, and he knows that this could just work.  The problem is, training time is up, and he still hadn't managed to get Derek on side.  
   
As he finds himself standing on the round metal platform, listing to a voice count down the seconds until the shit hits the fan for real, he knows he's going to have to wing it and hope his gut instinct is right about this. He briefly meets Derek's eyes across the circle, and then it's on.  
   
\-----  
   
Stiles gets the hell out of dodge as soon as possible, fleeing the bloodbath of the cornucopia. He's pleased his suspicions were right; Derek is running too - Stiles stops to grab a knife and a small backpack, containing fuck knows what, from the very edge of the melee - and he runs right after him.  
   
\-----  
   
Derek is fast, and Stiles doesn't give full chase, but at least know he knows he's heading in the right direction.  Stiles finally catches up to him on day three. He approaches cautiously, knife in one hand, but the other raised in a gesture that he hopes conveys 'I come in peace'.  
   
"What are you doing here Three? Do you have a death wish?" Derek questions, a nasty looking sword in his hand that he definitely didn't have when he left the cornucopia.   
   
Stiles swallows, so that means it's likely Derek's already made a kill then. Possibly with his bare hands. Stiles is beginning to wonder if he's making a big mistake.  
   
"An allegiance," he blurts out. "I'm here to offer an allegiance."  
   
Derek is looking at him with outraged disbelief.  
   
"Or not." Stiles finishes. "And I'll just be on my way."  
   
Derek sighs and for a second Stiles thinks he sees a bit of hesitation on the other boy's face, but then he speaks, "I'm fine on my own. Just this once I'm going to let you walk away Three, but I'm here to win, so don't get in my way again."  
   
\-----  
   
Stiles finds himself at a loss after that, because that was it; that was the plan, and now it's all gone to shit. He mainly hides after that, climbing trees and keeping out of sight. On day six the Career pack walk right past where he's hiding, totally clueless to the fact that his heart is beating rabbit fast against his ribcage at the realization death is always only a breath away in here.  
   
\-----  
   
Every night he watches the skies to see how many opponents remain. The numbers are dwindling fast. Every night he looks for Derek and Erica's faces.  
   
\-----  
   
He finds Erica on day seven. She's lying on the ground convulsing, and to start with he thinks it's just a fit, and that maybe he can save her...Only then he's feels the sticky substance under his fingers as he moves her, sees the dark pool of blood soaking into her clothes and the damp earth. Stiles holds her until she dies, and then he runs.  
   
Stiles doesn't stop running until he finds the pond he discovered days ago. He falls to his knees and plunges his hands into the ice cold water, trying to clean off the blood,  _Erica's blood_ , that's still clinging to him the same way she did, as her lungs rattled with the effort to keep going, even though they both knew it was fruitless.  
   
\-----  
   
He hears the sound of twigs cracking under several pairs of boots, and takes that as his cue to leave, but he knows they're close; too close to risk running in the opposite direction, so he does the next best thing and climbs the nearest tree, knowing the leaf laden branches will keep him hidden.  
   
His heart jumps into his mouth when he sees Derek burst into the clearing and then spin round to face whoever is chasing him, sword in hand, raised and ready.  
   
The Careers are hot on his heels and ploughing towards him. Stiles winces and closes his eyes, not sure he can watch. A strangled cry followed by a gurgling sound has his eyes flying open again, his fingers digging tightly into the bark below them.  
   
Derek knows how to handle that sword, and a boy is down, blood gushing from his limp body. Stiles thinks it's District Two; judging on the shrieking coming from the girl from Two anyway. The girl from Four appeared in the sky a couple of nights ago, so that leaves three careers against Derek. The girl from Two wrenches free from the grip of the boy from One, charges Derek, and meets a similar sticky end.  While Derek is dealing with her though, the girl from One flashes a sharp smile and throws a knife, which sinks into Derek's thigh and causes him to lose his balance. Stiles is reminded of a pack of wolves bringing down an elk. Derek is huge and he's strong, but he is outnumbered.  
   
Stiles feels frozen, he could climb down and join the fray but for what? Derek refused his alliance, and he's no match for the careers brute strength - they'd probably cut him down before he even reached Derek.  
   
Derek adjusts his posture to correct his balance but his eyes are on the girl, who is baiting him with words and sharp teeth, keeping his mind off the boy.  
   
Stiles wants to scream, because this is Derek's weakness; he's blinded by his rage and he's not thinking. He surges towards her at the same time the boy twists and dives behind Derek, plunging what looks like a syringe into Derek's neck. Stiles tries not to dwell on the fact someone would pay for District One to have a paralytic but no-one would pay for Erica to have the medication that could have kept her alive.  
   
Derek staggers backwards, his hand flying to his neck, and then he's stumbling backwards as his whole body seems to become paralyzed. District One are laughing, and then Derek is falling into the pond and sinking like a stone.  
   
Stiles feels himself fall from the tree, thankfully District One are too preoccupied kissing to hear him, and he ducks behind the trunk of his tree as they run off.  
   
Then Stiles begins to move, legs pumping frantically as he covers the clearing and reaches the pond's edge. He doesn't think; he just dives.  
   
Derek weighs a tonne, and Stiles starts to panic that they're both going to drown, but somehow he makes it back to the surface.  
   
His lungs are burning, and his legs feel like they're on fire, as he hauls Derek onto the bank.  
   
Stiles knows the cameras will be on them right now; he knows this is it. This is his chance to get his plan back on track, and hopefully get them some sponsorship (if Derek survives this and doesn't kill him, that is).  
   
Stiles knows CPR, he can do this. He pounds down on Derek's chest, and forces air into his lungs, and then the body beneath him is coughing up water and breathing.  
   
Derek comes to with a snarl and pins Stiles to the ground. Whatever he'd been injected with has clearly worn off.  
   
"Dude, way to thank a guy," Stiles can hear the panic in his voice, because Derek's hands could quite easily snap his neck in half.  
   
Derek lets him go, flops off him onto the earth. "What are you doing Three? I thought I told you -"  
   
"- Stiles, my name is Stiles. If we're going to be allies I'd prefer it if you stop calling me Three OK?"  
   
To Stiles' amazement, Derek actually huffs out a small laugh. "Persistent little shit aren't you?"  
   
Stiles grins, "Yep, it's one of my many qualities."  
   
\-----  
   
Stiles almost cries with joy when Derek serves him roast rabbit. Apart from that rat he'd found a few days ago, Stiles hasn't eaten meat since entering the arena.  
   
They keep moving, sleeping in the trees and stocking up on food and water when they can. At night they watch the sky, counting off how many remain.   
   
\-----  
   
It's around midday on the third day they've been together that Stiles starts to realize his plan has more than worked. Not only does he have Derek's protection for now, but he was right in his suspicions; the audience  _love_  this alliance. They are the ultimate odd couple, and the more they banter and open up to each other the more gifts they start receiving.  
   
They sit down to a feast the next night, courtesy of the parachute that arrived earlier, and Stiles falls asleep with his head on Derek's shoulder; feeling full, warm and content for the first time in what feels like forever.  
   
\-----  
   
They both know it can't last, and it doesn't. Six days after Stiles rescued Derek there is an announcement. If the last two tributes remaining are from the same district then they can both be crowned victors.  
   
As far as Stiles knows, that leaves District One and District Five at an advantage. Other than that there is the creepy dude from Seven and a fierce looking girl from Eleven, and them still out there.  
   
Derek looks at him, his expression unreadable as he gruffly says, "I guess we should split now; it's probably for the best."  
   
"No,"  Stiles says calmly, although his heart is pounding and he suddenly feels wrecked with panic at the thought. "No, not yet. Strategically speaking it's not the best time. We should try and eliminate members of the remaining pairs; that way the field will be more even when we - that way, when the time comes, we can be safe in the knowledge we aren't going to end up in a two against one situation."  
   
Derek acquiesces and gives a sound of assent, and Stiles relaxes against him.  
   
\-----  
   
Someone takes care of  creepy McCreeperson, Stiles suspects District One, and him and Derek track down Five the day after. Derek makes use of his strength, ambushing the guy and snapping his neck before he gets a chance to react. The girl doesn't run like they'd expected though, she jumps Derek.  
   
And Stiles sticks a knife in her back, without so much as a second thought.  
   
It's his first kill.  
   
He sleeps a little closer to Derek that night, and neither of them says anything when they wake up precariously tangled together, the rays of the morning sun slanting through the leaves and onto their faces. Stiles knows this will probably be the last time he wakes up with Derek.  
   
\-----  
   
The girl from One meets her end at the hands of the girl from Eleven. The boy from One then guts the girl from Eleven open like a fish. Stiles and Derek watch from up a tree. Stiles thinks he might be sick, Derek's hand somehow finds his. Derek's grip is vice-like, but it anchors Stiles and pulls him back from the edge, and he finds himself gripping Derek's hand right back.  
   
Neither of them speak, but they're both thinking the same thing: And then there were three.  
   
\-----  
   
Stiles knows they need to part now; they've done what they set out to do, in fact they planned to split before this, the death count just suddenly escalated somewhat. He's about to bring it up when they hear a hideous snarling sound.  
   
"Mutts," Derek mutters, his body tensing, "it has to be."  
   
They both start to run, but Stiles knows Derek is faster than him, he guesses maybe this is a good thing; they'll be forced to split with no messy goodbyes.  
   
Stiles keeps pace for a while, before he can't take it any more and starts to lag. He's gasping for breath, but he has to say something, "So - I guess this is it then - I'd say good luck but - that's like wishing myself dead - so - just run really fast yeah - and maybe try to smell appetizing - so they follow you - " he eases off his pace, desperate for a moment to catch his breath.  
   
Derek rolls his eyes and grabs Stiles' wrist, "Shut up Three, and save your breath for running.' With that he's dragging Stiles along.  
   
They hear a shriek behind them, it can only be the boy from District One.  
   
"Come on!" Derek urges as they race back to where this whole thing started, the cornucopia.  
   
Stiles' head is spinning as they climb up it's slippery sides. This was not part of the plan. This was not part of the plan at all.  He collapses, gasping for air as his thoughts run wild. He's so close, he's so fucking  _close_. All that stands between him and going home is one person.  
   
Why does that one person have to be Derek?  
   
\-----  
   
It takes a while for both of them to catch their breath. They lay on their backs for a while longer than necessary; neither party wanting to be the first to move, the first to face the situation they've found themselves in.  
   
Finally Stiles sits up and breaks the silence. "So, how are we going to do this?  Draw straws or -" he trails off when he sees Derek's face.  
   
Stiles knows Derek could obliterate him; sure Stiles has his knife, but Derek could soon break his wrist and solve that problem, but Derek looks wrecked.  
   
"I would have died in that pond," Derek says, running a hand over his face, "you saved me, I can't repay you by taking your life."  
   
"I have to admit, I didn't see that one coming back to bite me on the ass  _quite_  like this," Stiles replies quietly.  
   
He knows there has to be a way out of this, there  _has_  to be, all he needs to do is  _think_.  
   
They sit up there a while, but it's clear the mutts were withdrawn once District One was killed. No monsters needed for this finale, it's grim enough on its own. The audience must be going wild -  
   
And there it is: The audience! The audience love them, judging on all the gifts they've received, and the games has to have a victor - that's how it works.  
   
Stiles reaches cautiously for Derek's hand and starts to tug him to the ground. Derek raises an eyebrow but Stiles just shakes his head.  
   
They climb down and Stiles takes a long minute to look at Derek. "I can't kill you," he looks down at his feet and then back up at Derek. "I thought I'd do anything to go home, but I can't do this." He can feel his palms sweating, and he really hopes Derek runs with this, can see what Stiles is trying to communicate with his eyes but daren't say in case the microphones pick it up.  
   
Derek's eyes are searching, his brow slightly furrowed. He's quiet for a while before he replies, "And I can't kill you."  
   
Stiles offers him a small smile then, to let him know that was the right answer. Then he's rummaging in his backpack and producing a hand full of berries.  
   
Derek's eyes widen, "Stiles those are -"  
   
"I know." Stiles leans in close, sliding some of the berries into Derek's hand and pressing his lips up against Derek's cheek in what looks like a kiss goodbye. "Do you trust me?" he whispers.  
   
Derek shivers slightly as breath ghosts across his skin. He looks at Stiles for a long moment before he breathes, "Yes."  
   
Stiles knots their free hands together. "On the count of three then. One, two, thr -"  
   
The sound of static fills the arena, and then a voice hurriedly announces: "Ladies and Gentlemen, we give you the victors of the 74th Hunger Games; Stiles Stilinksi and Derek Hale."  
   
Stiles falls into Derek's chest in relief, throwing his handful of berries to the floor.  He has no idea what's going to happen next, but for now the feel of Derek's warm arms wrapping around him is enough.


End file.
